Resources

Printing Responsibly

Did you know Alta is FSC®-certified? The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) standards represent the world's strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes. Your purchase of FSC®-certified paper and print products contributes to conservation, responsible management, and community level benefits for people near the forests that provide your paper. Visit us.fsc.org for more information about this global project. Contact our sales team to request the FSC® logo on your next print product.

Resources and FAQs

How do I send files for my project?

There are several ways to send a file:

How much room do I need on a mailpiece for the address?

Letter-size Mail

  • Description: Between 5" long x 3.5" high and 11.5" long x 6.125" high
  • Aspect Ratio: Length ÷ Height should be between 1.3 and 2.5
  • No-print Area: Bottom 5/8" will be used by USPS
  • Address Area: 3.75" long x 2" high in the bottom 2.75" of the piece

Click template to enlarge

Letter Addressing Template

Flat-size Mail

  • Description: Between 6" long x 5" high and 15" long x 12" high
  • Aspect Ratio: Over 6" long, piece may be square. Otherwise, mailpiece must be rectangular.
  • Thickness: 3/4" maximum thickness, must be uniform
  • Address Placement (horizontal orientation): Address block must be located fully on the left or right side of the midline
  • Address Area (vertical orientation): Address block must be located on the top half of the mailpiece; bound edge is on the right for booklets

Click template to enlarge

Flat Address Placement Template Images from http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/dmm300_landing.htm

What is the difference between presort standard, nonprofit and first class mailings?

First Class Presort

  • Minimum Quantity: 500
  • Delivery Time: highest priority
  • Postage Discount: about 20% off of retail
  • Price Break: over 1 ounce (letter), flat may not weigh more than 13 ounces

Standard Presort

  • Minimum Quantity: 200
  • Delivery Time: lowest priority
  • Postage Discount: about 40% off of retail
  • Price Break: over 3.3 ounces, flat must weigh less than 16 ounces

Nonprofit

  • Minimum Quantity: 200
  • Delivery Time: same as standard presort
  • Postage Discount: about 70% off of retail
  • Price Break: over 3.3 ounces, flat must weigh less than 16 ounces

Why do I have to review proofs of my project?

The proofing process is very important to the success of your project. We go to great lengths to proof every job for accuracy; however, mistakes can happen, so read your proof carefully.

Unless alternative arrangements are made with your CSR—or your job is an exact reprint and we have a previous sample—you can expect to review a PDF (soft) proof and a hard proof when raw files are supplied. The soft proof will generally be skipped if PDF files are submitted.

By emailing your approval or by signing your proof envelope, you are authorizing Alta to print your job as shown on your proof. Understand that by giving your approval any errors not detected are your sole responsibility and that you are responsible for full payment.

UF Clients: How do I distribute proofs when I'm ordering for a third party?

  1. Enter the personalized information
  2. Click Update Preview
  3. Edit and update preview until you are satisfied with the product
  4. Right click on the image of the product and click "Save image as..." to save the file to your computer
  5. Click the Save for Later button
  6. When the proofs have been reviewed by their owners, log back in to your account
  7. Click the Save for Later link in the navigation bar to access your pending orders; from there you can return to the customization page and either submit the order or make any necessary edits

    8. Click image to enlarge

    Save for Later Screenshot